Electrical interrupter and rectifier.



PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

Tu E INTERWFPTER AND RECTIFIER.

ELECTRICAL APPLZGATIQE FILED JUNE 16,1905.

2 SHEETSr-SHEET 1.

I a/673507? I Vain PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

H. A. YARNELL.

ELECTRICAL INTERRUPTBR AND REGTEPIER.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 16,1905.

2 SEEETS-SHEET 2v 01 alternating currents.

l the electrode chamber of Fig. 7.

- connections of Fig. 10.

UNITED snares PATENT orrron.

HAROLD A. YARNELL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO PACIFIC WIRELESS TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON.

ELEGTREOAL INTE RRUPTER AND RECTIFIER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 11, 1907.

Ap li ation filed Juuc 16,1905. Serial No. 265,480.

To all whom it 771/661] concern:

Be it known that I, I'IAROLD A. YARNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at lJOS Angeles, in the county of Los i ngeles and State of California, have .invented new and Briefly the invention comprises two electrodes, one of which is a liquid, and means for limiting the efl'ective contact of the liquid electrode with the other electrode.

. In its preferred form, the invention comuseful Electrical interrupter and Rectifier, of prises a cell or jar 1 of glass with a cover 2 of which the following is a specification. l insulating material, the latter having rubber This invention relates to a device for autol lugs 3, which grip under a flange 4 formed matically interrupting an electric current, bel near the upper rim of the jar, the cover'2 having adapted for interrupting both direct and l alternating currents and also for an alternating current.

The device is adapted for interrupting the circuit through the induction coil of the transmitter in wireless telegraph systems; it is also adapted foruse with X-ray or other l apparatus and generally for the rectification I ed by the cover 2.

mg a groove fitting the rim of the jar 'so that rectifying The upper end of t e leg has a binding post 8 for the attachment of a conducting wire 9. Suspended in the liquid and supported by the cover 2 is an electrode chamber or shell 10, preferably of glass, which may be constructed in various ways. Within the shell is an electrode. The simplest form is shown in Fig. 2, in which the The accompanying drawings illustrate the shell 10 has a flat bottom with a central oriinvcntion, and referring thereto I iice 11. The upper end of the shell is closed Figure 1 is a vertical cross section through by a cover 12 having orifices 13. Suspended one' form of the invention. Fig. is avertical near the lower end of the shell by a leg 14 is cross section, enlarged, through one form of tubular electrode chamber. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing another form of electrode. Fig. 4 is a cross section showing another form of electrode, only the lower portion of the tubular chamber being shown. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing another form of electrode. Fig. 6 is a section on line 00 -220, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a vertical cross section through another form oi electrode, electrode chamber, and attachments, a portion of the external vessel being shown. Fig. 8 is a detail in perspective of the cap for Fig. 9 is a perspective of the clamp, shown in Fig. 7, for connecting the carbon electrode with'its support. Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing another form of electrode chamber and an automatic electrode feed. Fig. 11 is a perspective in detail of the electrode and Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing another form of electrode chamber and attachments. Fig. 13 is a detail in perspective of the lower end of the electrode su port shown in Fig. 12.

The main object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described w inch is operated without mechanically moving parts, which 1s very simple and lllQXPQIlSlVe in construction, which is inexpensive to 0perate and mamtam, and which 18 durable in use.

both preferably formed of lead. The leg 14 extends up through the cover 12 and is perforated to receive a conducting wire 16, the latter being held in place by a binding screw. 17. In using this form of apparatus in the transmitting station of wireless telegraph systems, I have connected the wire 9 with one terminal of a circuit using alternating current and connected the wire 16 with one pole of the primary of the induction coil the other pole of the primary was connected to the other terminal of the su ply circuit. .Upon closing the circuit throug 1 the apparatus, the current passes through the terminal 6 arid through the electrolyte 5, electrode 15 and primary of the induction coil. The effective contact of the electrolyte with the electrode 15 is limited by the orifice 11, and upon the passage of the current, the liquid is forced away from the lower end of the electrode 15, formin a bubble so to speak, which automatically breaks the circuit, which however is immediately closed b reason of the destruction of the bubble, the

leg 7, the upper end of the leg beingsu portan electrode 15, the leg and electrode being and through the IOC - electrode.

liquid renewing itself in contact with the This action takes place many times in quick succession whenever theciI cuit throughthe device is closed, even it closed only for an instant. This automatic interruption occurs also when a direct current is used. In addition to this automatic interruption of the current, l have found in practice that the device, when used with an alternating current acts also as a rectifier, thus making it possible to use the device, for converting an alternating current into a direct current. There is thus a wide field for use, as a rectifier, the device not being confined exclusively to uses in which its function is that of an interrupter.

In the form shown in Fig. 3, the electrode 15 has a convex lower face which spreads out the bubble. The tube is provided with orifices-a, and a petticoat I), with grooves c, and depending cones (ZQ Below the petticoat is a smaller one c, of similar construction, the tube having orifices immediately above. if the liquid should in continuous or rapid work, accumulate in the tube, it will discharge through the orifices and a and flow down the grooved pettico'ats and collect in drops on the cones d, dropping therefrom into the body of liquid in the jar. Fig. 1 shows the tube with only one petticoat, and one or more may be employed as desired. The

petticoats are sustained by rings 9 clamped tothe tube. By thus causing the liquid to drop from the petticoats instead of running in a stream into the liquid,short circuiting is pre vented. Fig. 4 shows the electrode provided with a concave lower face which tends to concentrate the bubble at the center of the electrode. The orifices l3 allow the gases formed by the action of the current upon the electrolyte to escape. 4 Fig. 5 shows another form of electrode comprising ring 18, which closely fits the bore of the shell 10, and is connected to the leg 14 by three arms 19, which are torn wlth a split collar 20, the latter benig clamped to the leg 1 Fig. 7 shows another form in which the electrode comprises a carbon 21, the lower end of which protrudes through an the rounded end of the tube 22. form the eilective contact of the electrol with the electrode is limited to that portion oh the electrode that, protrudes below the tube. As the carbon burns away during continued use, it is advisable to provide neans'ior adjusting it and to that end it may besupported'by a bifurcated conducting rod Y 23; the legs of which are securely connected to thecarbon by a clamp 24; one leg 25 preferably having a foot 26 which hooks under the edge of the clamp. The shank of the rod 23 is screw-threaded and is supported by a cover 24 formed of an insulating material, which may be 'detachably fastened to the up 5 when usedcauses the bubble to form around the protruding end of the carbon.

Fig/1G shows a form in which the curoou electrode is self-adjusting. in this lorm the shell 22 at its lower end has a tapered orilice in which. lies the tapered lower end oi carbon 21, the diameter being less than the diameter of the carbon, so that the carbon will be so pported by the tube, and will drop grzulually as it burns away at its lower cod. .1. disk 332 is arranged in the tube 22 and is prevented from slipping down by the contracted end of the tube. The dislr 32 has an ol'ilh'i? Iii which allows the carbon 21 to move down freely. Attached to the dish 32 is a wuncction strip 3 the upper end of which has a binding post 35. Within the tube 2; at its upper end, is a block so through which the strip 84 loosely passes and is centrally per-lo rated to receive the upper end of carbon 21. Tl block 36 is supported on the carbon by a split collar 37, and the block 36 acts is a weight to hold the lower end of the carbon in its seat and prevent it 'p.uuping rmwardly, and also serves to guide the upper end of the carbon, the block 36 freely moving down in the tube as the carbon burns away. The disk 32 is provided with orifices 33 for the escape of gas, which might otherwise collect in the bottom of the tube.

Fig. shows another form in which the carbon is selll'ecdh'w but is supg, ofl3ed by an abutment comp i1. a [as cone 38 which lclow the tube by means ol 411i depend from an external surrounding the tul e 32, there being ably a slight space between the side walls of the two tubes. Around the upper end of the external tube 4:0 is split collar 4]. with external tapered threads, the cell being clamped to the tube at} by a not i th internal tapered threads. A. splitcollar 43 having external tapered. threads is claimoed to the inner tube 32 by a nut 44., having internal tapered threads; and the collar 41 has internal threads which enga e external threads on the collar 43. Otherwise, the construction ol the inner tube, carbon and other parts, is similar to the construction shown in 7. in thisi'orm, the lower end of the carbon rests upon the rounded tip of the cone 3S, and it burns away, the carbon sinks so that its lower end always rests upon the cone and thus maintains constantly a definite of exposed carbon, which protrudes below the bottom oi the tube 22. By screwing the inner tube up or end ilmnersecl in the liquid an olo trmla down, the protl'mling arcs, of the oaz'lmn anal. consequent efloctivecontact of he cl lyte may be regulated to the (locked p m l/Vhllo I have shown and. (loscrlbo'kl swim forms of my invention, it should no mm stood that the invention is not rostrictmi the specific forms shown.

What I claim is:-

1. An electrical interrupter iLiiL'l rectifier com Fish! 21. livuid a shell n a DUIEOF 0 1d through the 1 outside of tho I; ll be 11 min g am 1s which cone tho i'csts mcans ljustmont bou 1y tho efi'octtho hm'm and of the @100 Jolt VJ from tho uopol' lower and oi the upper end the cnduct lug l'od.

'0 hereunto set Qnlllornia this 9th the shell with its end projecting t perforation in thc shall, a tube on lSL shell, the lower end of the tnbc which su port a cone upon lower cm. of the electrode and :w for securing vertical relative m; tween the tube and shell Whom ive contact area of the lower trode may be regulated,

2. An electrical interrupter and comprising a liquid, shell with s. pen

YARNELL.

i nconducting rod 

